OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

Eugene Church · 03-25-2012, 06:07 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 11, 2030

2030 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

Blue Sox IPA Pro Cup Champ, Top Vips In 7 Games
A great ending to a magnificent season - after three decades of futility, the eighth-seeded Blue Lake Blue Sox did what seemed to be the impossible - for the first time in history, they are the IPA Pro Cup champion... the Blue Sox came back to win the final two games in back-to-back shutouts to cop the series four games to three from the Valmara Vipers... Blue Sox Doug Kirkpatrick got a late start in the Pro Cup playoffs because of injury, but he came through with two great wins in the Finals... Kirkpatrick (2-1/1.73) fired a 5-hit 2-0 shutout to capture the title.

Blue Lake got two singles from CF Chris Halley (.296) and 2B Skipper Smith (.234) and a flyout in the first frame to go up 1-0... 3B Matt Thompson (.290) got the RBI... the Blue Sox added another run in the top of the third when Kirkpatrick (.200) helped his own cause with a double, moved to third on a balk and scored when Eddie Nagen (.290) grounded out to second base... that's all the runs Kirkpatrick needed as he struck out 3 and issued no walks... Garry Gronek (4-3/2.91) caught the loss as he gave up 2 runs and 3 hits in 4 innings... the Blue Sox could manage only 6 hits off three Viper pitchers, who fanned 8 and walked just one.

Blue Lake manager Rick Hilliard glowingly told the press, "We don't have any superstars on our ball club, just a bunch of great guys that play together... all doing their part for the good of the team... but I will say our pitching staff really came through for us in the playoffs... first the starters filled in while Doug was injured and got us through the first two rounds and then Doug really came through for us in the Finals with two great performances... what a game he pitched today."

Valmara manager Jet Kazmarek said he was very disappointed with the Pro Cup loss. "You don't get very many shots at the gold ring and we let one get away. All we needed was one more win... just a split in the last two games... but we couldn't do it." Kazmarek, the greatest hitter in IPA history with a career .350 BA, said Blue Lake's pitching was truly remarkable. "They posted a 2.04 ERA against the best teams in the league in the playoffs. We have a pretty good hitting club, but they shut us out three times in the series and held us to one run in the other victory... now that is some kind of pitching. 1 through 8 the Blue Sox have excellent starters and relievers. There are no weak links on their staff.... We couldn't hit any of them."

03-25-2012, 06:07 PM	#3017
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	*THE ISLANDIAN TIMES* Friday, October 11, 2030 2030 IPA Pro Cup Finals (best-of-seven) Blue Sox IPA Pro Cup Champ, Top Vips In 7 Games A great ending to a magnificent season - after three decades of futility, the eighth-seeded Blue Lake Blue Sox did what seemed to be the impossible - for the first time in history, they are the IPA Pro Cup champion... the Blue Sox came back to win the final two games in back-to-back shutouts to cop the series four games to three from the Valmara Vipers... Blue Sox Doug Kirkpatrick got a late start in the Pro Cup playoffs because of injury, but he came through with two great wins in the Finals... Kirkpatrick (2-1/1.73) fired a 5-hit 2-0 shutout to capture the title. Blue Lake got two singles from CF Chris Halley (.296) and 2B Skipper Smith (.234) and a flyout in the first frame to go up 1-0... 3B Matt Thompson (.290) got the RBI... the Blue Sox added another run in the top of the third when Kirkpatrick (.200) helped his own cause with a double, moved to third on a balk and scored when Eddie Nagen (.290) grounded out to second base... that's all the runs Kirkpatrick needed as he struck out 3 and issued no walks... Garry Gronek (4-3/2.91) caught the loss as he gave up 2 runs and 3 hits in 4 innings... the Blue Sox could manage only 6 hits off three Viper pitchers, who fanned 8 and walked just one. Blue Lake manager Rick Hilliard glowingly told the press, "We don't have any superstars on our ball club, just a bunch of great guys that play together... all doing their part for the good of the team... but I will say our pitching staff really came through for us in the playoffs... first the starters filled in while Doug was injured and got us through the first two rounds and then Doug really came through for us in the Finals with two great performances... what a game he pitched today." Valmara manager Jet Kazmarek said he was very disappointed with the Pro Cup loss. "You don't get very many shots at the gold ring and we let one get away. All we needed was one more win... just a split in the last two games... but we couldn't do it." Kazmarek, the greatest hitter in IPA history with a career .350 BA, said Blue Lake's pitching was truly remarkable. "They posted a 2.04 ERA against the best teams in the league in the playoffs. We have a pretty good hitting club, but they shut us out three times in the series and held us to one run in the other victory... now that is some kind of pitching. 1 through 8 the Blue Sox have excellent starters and relievers. There are no weak links on their staff.... We couldn't hit any of them." Last edited by Eugene Church; 01-22-2024 at 07:28 PM.